Doves & Olives

by Farah Ayaad

165 pages, Paperback

Published April 4, 2024

About the author

Farah is a Palestinian-Canadian poet of culture, courage, & cosmos. Through her poetry, she speaks to the brave—those in love, at a loss, land-sick, or legacy-led. Her poems are short-form but soul-deep: lyrical, layered, & lethally delivered. Moved by Rumi and Gibran, Farah's voice bridges the ancient with the now. As the host of Born Brave and creator of @brave4palestine, Farah channels courage into spiritual teachings and soul-led activism. You enter fearful, but leave fearless. That’s the Farah effect.

Author of Coming Home, You Are The Sun, Love On Earth, Mañana, and Almost Home.

Farah's newest book, Doves & Olives, is a universal message about the Palestinian journey of grief, belonging, courage and liberation; the second part in the Right of Return duology.

Be Brave with Farah on Instagram, TikTok, and Threads at thebravepoet_

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is such a powerful collection of poetry. Farah Awad is a Palestinian Canadian poet and this book was written as "universal message about the Palestinian journey of grief, belonging, courage and liberation." It achieved this message and more. Throughout the poems, I could feel the immense grief, longing, rage, exhaustion, courage, and pride.

The book is interspersed with photos of Farah as a childhood and of her father. One of the most powerful poems in the book was about her father's passing, next to a black and white photo of him holding Farah as a child. It was gutting to read and know this man, this father, never go to see the freedom of his homeland. As Farah put it, he died with his heart broken.

The book is split into 3 sections: diaspora, white supremacy, and watermelon seeds. Each were distinct while connecting so many threads of the Palestinian experience throughout. I will leave you with an impactful poem from each section and beg you to buy this book for yourself and everyone you know.

Diaspora:
"don't assume my story
based on my name for there
is no title that can ever do
my narrative justice"

White Supremacy:
"your violence
expands in silence
so it rewards compliance
with courage and a rose
i am committed to expose
all of your shadows"

Watermelon Seeds:
"their evilness is overpowering
yet our goodness knows no bounds"

[Nicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my third experience with this poet. But even before I bought this collection, I knew that there was a deeper soulful nature to it. With images of her late father and herself in childhood, the words combine longing, admiration, pain, rage, and social ethics.

I was, and still am, left with an abysmal ache in me after finishing it. I can only imagine what the author felt and she has powerfully transcribed it in brief, aimed verses.

Farah Ayaad has this talent for saying so much with so little. I used to think that mainstream poetry was too brief and that’s why I thought they were shallow. Ayaad has proven me wrong again and again.
(Of course, there’s a matter of taste).

If you are a poetry appreciator, someone who has a shred of empathy for Palestine, or even just wants something new, this collection is it.